Surgical procedures performed on a joint, such as an ankle, often require distraction or spreading of the joint to facilitate the insertion and manipulation of surgical implements in the joint. Conventional distractor apparatuses are generally axially aligned with the limb in which the joint resides such that tension can be applied to the limb thereby spreading or decompressing the joint. The distractor apparatus may exert the tension on the limb via a strap which is attached to both the distractor and the limb. For instance, where surgery is being performed on an ankle, the distractor apparatus is aligned with the long axis of the lower leg and a strap is attached to the foot and/or ankle. Tension may be applied to the leg and ankle by rotating a worm screw of the distractor apparatus which is attached to the strap. In such apparatuses the long axis of the worm screw is generally aligned with the long axis of the lower leg such that the worm screw and the lower leg are substantially coaxial.
Such conventional distractor apparatus designs have several drawbacks. For instance, achieving the magnitude of tension necessary to adequately decompress the joint may be difficult for an operator to obtain by manual manipulation of the worm screw. Moreover, because the distractor apparatus must be axially aligned with the long axis of the limb to facilitate application of the distraction force, the distractor apparatus takes up a significant amount of space distal to the foot thereby hindering access to the joint of interest and increasing the difficulty of performing the surgical operation.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative distractor apparatuses which facilitate improved access to the extremities of a distracted limb.